The city of Yorkville is considering applying for a state grant to help fund gaps in sidewalks near Autumn Creek Elementary School to address “mobility, safety and accessibility” concerns, the city said.

The plan is to construct around 3,500 feet of new sidewalk and connect to an existing sidewalk within the Prairie Meadows subdivision. The selected area is a “high-traffic area” near the school, according to city documents.

The total project would cost $481,000. The city is preparing a grant application with the Illinois Safe Routes to School Program to cover $250,000 of the project’s costs. The selected projects receiving grant money are being announced by the state in spring 2026.

“There’s several lots in the subdivision (behind City Hall), which connects to Autumn Creek, there’s just quite a few sidewalks that aren’t in yet,” Mayor John Purcell said during the Sept. 23 city council meeting.

City staff are currently in the process of procuring letters of support for the project from the Yorkville School District 115, the Yorkville Education Foundation, and parent/teacher organizations, according to city documents.

The city is also collaborating with the school district to obtain survey results regarding walking and biking pathways to schools across the district, according to city documents.